Charities I can donate my old glasses to?

[lurkinglittleladybug]

My prescription changes regularly so as a result I have a few pairs of perfectly good glasses laying around the house that I no longer use…

I seem to remember there being some sort of charity donation box in my opticians before but I haven’t seen it in a while.

Anyone know where I can donate them to so they can reach someone in need?
I don’t mind if I have to post them to a charity, but have no idea where to post to etc … I did a quick Google search and couldn’t find much…

Seems a shame to throw them away or recycle them as there really is nothing wrong with them🤷🏼‍♀️

I normally drop mine off at my local Specsavers. Even if there isn’t a visible donation box it’s worth asking.

I’d like to know too. There was a charity that collected them but it was suspended during Covid. I asked at Specsavers and they said they didn’t take them any more. TBH although it’s not very environmentally friendly I would think it would be easier and cheaper to pay for people to have cheap glasses from new rather than try to match people to different prescriptions.

The main charities which took in old glasses stopped collecting due to covid, I know a few do still collect from some opticians
Glasses recycling you can post to - Lions Club in Chichester I believe may still do, and I’ve heard Botaniq (a frame manufacturer) do this too if you Google them

Our Specsavers used to have a box, doesn't any more, but still took around 12 pairs from me around 3 months ago.

Our local independent optician has a recycling bin. Also some local recycling centres will take them.

Both our local specsavers and vision express recycle old prescription glasses. They do not advertise it, but it’s fine to just hand over the glasses at the counter minus their cases.

It’s weird how they stopped the donation box after covid … I’m pretty sure viruses can’t actually live on surfaces outside the human body for very long, so wouldn’t have thought that would be an issue, like couldn’t they just leave the box a few days isolation before collecting them 🤷🏼‍♀️

I guess I could just recycle them, seems a shame though when they are perfectly good glasses, I always get designer frames too

My Specsavers had a donation box when I was in there a couple of months back. I noticed it because I have a few old pairs I need to recycle.

@Op. I think the lack of a visible donation box I store is more of an aesthetic thing these days. They do look fairly tarty very quickly. Probably much easier for staff to just put them in plastic crates out the the back ready for collection. Apparently they are taken to prisons where inmates grade the lenses, clean up the frames and do any repairs before being sent abroad for reuse.
(According to a member of staff I was chatting to).

Specsavers went OTT with this stuff - their staff were locking the shop door and only letting you in if you knocked, ostentatiously wiping spec frames after customers had tried them and swanning around in PPE as if they were doing heart surgery when all the other shops in my high street were rammed. Didn't seem to have a problem taking money off us lepers, surprisingly.

Glasses count as healthcare and are needed by everyone.
My DPs (v. old and clinically vulnerable) didn't go anywhere much for months but did go to opticians because they needed to. They were very much calmed by the safety precautions.

(Plus at the start at least people didn't know how long covid survived for on different surfaces or how great the risk of transmission was from them.)

mrsdanvers
Specsavers went OTT with this stuff - their staff were locking the shop door and only letting you in if you knocked, ostentatiously wiping spec frames after customers had tried them and swanning around in PPE as if they were doing heart surgery

yes this!! I still think ours has some sort of barrier at the door.

Here are the details for Chichester Lions:
lionsclubs.co/MemberArea/knowledge/spectacles-recycling/

🤣

Yes they are rather strict lol … Once when I had an appointment my partner went will me as he needed new contact lenses, the woman at reception was pretty rude, she told DH he had to wait outside (in the pouring rain) and wasn’t allowed contact lenses as he didn’t have an appointment. She was very abrupt with me too (even though I had an appointment). I felt very much that she didn’t want me (or anyone) there 🤨… I get there has to be covid precautions, but a bit of friendly customer service wouldn’t go amiss 🙄